


A God In The Bay(Worm/Leviathan The Tempest.)

by Kalzky



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow, World of Darkness (Games)
Genre: Cults
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 15:53:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14772614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalzky/pseuds/Kalzky
Summary: A god is cast away from his world by his foes, arriving into a strange new place with only the fragments of his following, into a world of public titans, of superheroes and supervillains. A sick city, where crime runs rampant. A place in need of Judgement. And the god is all too happy to provide.





	1. Chapter 1

It started, rather appropriately, on a rainy day. It was a regular ritual for The Brotherhood, just something to give glory to their god. Yet...trickery was used, clever in design. A spell, made to cast away such a cult, banish it and it's God to somewhere..else. Anywhere else would work, so long as it was no longer a thorn in the magic worker's side. It worked..imperfectly, though well enough one would suppose. The God, cast away, but most of his cult remaining. A few were banished with him, numbering in the slight dozens. And so it began, rain pounded outside the empty warehouse.

The God..Adam, exhaled. His men, his..cultists, had already set up a little perimeter in the empty, run-down building they had found themselves in. They still had their guns, their body armor if little else. Adam himself was stuck in thought. He had been..taken somewhere unknown, left in some new battleground. Still, he had been through worse changes and could see this one through. His younger self might have gone charging through the city, demanding answers, but Adam could find those without such..brashness. He began his inspection of the building. It was run down, yes, but didn't have layers of dust over everything. Yet, yet, there were no signs of habitation. But there were telltale signs here, needles, discarded, bloody. A drug house, or a dealers corner. A sneer crept on Adam's face. They would face Judgement soon enough.

Adam had always hated drugs, drug dealers. They pushed a product they drove a thousand strings into his consumers. It could turn even a virtuous man into little more than an addict, doing anything for the next high. He had purged such filth from his city, but he wasn't dealing with his city anymore. Now, he had to purge some new place of its sin, and he a fraction of his resources to do it. Still, challenge, conflict, it strengthed Adam, strengthed his followers. It gave them the edge because they could master it.

These thoughts swirled as Adam kept up his search, finding more of the same. Definitely a drug house, which meant soon enough, druggies, dealers would show. Then...Adam could find answers. Which meant, of course, a waiting game. Seconds bled into minutes, ticking by. Adam organized his soldiers into a better formation, hidden. That killed a little more time. Finally, more people poured in. A group, scratching, itching. Then, shortly after, a man, grinning. Adam's face twisted in rage, and the smiling man frowned. There was pressure on his head, but he could shake it off, he didn't have..he had a deal to make.

And deal he did, the group lapping up what he had to offer, gushing out what scraps of cash they could manage, all for such..filth. A switching of safeties and Adam's Brotherhood burst onto the scene. It was over quickly, the dealer's reflexive motion to grab a sidearm quickly stopped by one of Adam's good little soldiers breaking the offending arm. The other arm was twisted, shattered, just for good measure. 

The group had assault rifles positioned at their heads. Sobbing started quickly, pleas for mercy. It seemly went left unheard, all of the attackers hearts numb to such things by now. Adam Himself walked to the man, the full force of His attention, of His..wake, focused on one man. He started babbling.

"I..I..forgive me, I didn't..I..you..please, spare me! I didn't..you..I..I..you.."  
Adam stopped such noises with a hard slap. Blood gushed from his mouth, and now Adam spoke.

"You lived a life of Sin. You dealt drugs, poisoned people. You are filth, nothing. Yet, even trash can be recycled, brought to a greater purpose. I can kill you, with ease. I should kill you, for your sins. Yet, I grant you My mercy. You belong to Me now, and you will serve Me until breath leaves your body. Be reborn, sinner, and welcome to The Brotherhood."  
The man had seen light, rapture captured on his face. He had found God anew, and he would do whatever it took to please Him.

"Now, I need information from you, fledgling. Tell me, where are we, and what is the history you know? Leave nothing out, or you shall taste my wrath."  
The man spoke, eagerly. He spoke of humans with powers, of the golden man that heralded the start of them. He told of capes and cowls, of heroes and villains, and the wars between them. He told of the decay of this city, of how he descended into his lowly status as a dealer. He told Adam exactly what he feared to hear, that this was not his world. Rage flooded Adam's veins, but he couldn't indulge it.

He had Judgment to pass in a world in sore need of it.

Unfortunately, Adam no longer had thousands of arms to deal such a thing. He was back to building his power base, to clawing out a reputation. A worthy challenge, but not something solved by brute force..at least, not at first. He had his first new member, but he needed...more. Especially these..capes. People with power, parading around openly..it was good. Adam wouldn't have to hold back on showing his might. Nor would he have to keep a leash on the powered people that he ended up with in his Brotherhood. Strength like this displayed openly, it was how legends, fear grew. Adam breathed such strength, such fear among the wicked.

Adam had let the addicts go. The price of their sins had already torn their lives apart. It would be pointless to pass Judgement on them now, as pitiful as they were. Adam had...learned, from the man of the local gangs. They all needed to be crushed, of course. Neo-Nazis were hateful in all the wrong ways, finding sin in all the worst places. A dragon was not to be trifled with lightly, not with the fear he had spread. He was to be dealt with last, most likely. But these so-called..merchants? They dealt nothing but poison. They had nothing of value to give to the world. They were to be crushed, beaten, destroyed...eaten. From their ashes, Adam's Brotherhood would be reborn. And with his newest members oh so eager help, he knew just how to break them down.

A meeting, soon, this night. It was big, a relying cry of sorts. Adam was going to deal with it, alone. His men, they were going to secure this warehouse. A few would be on intel gathering duties, see if there was anything else they could find that the dealer didn't know. Adam knew the impact massed numbers had, but he needed to show he was a.." cape" to be wary of, feared. So, he would show the power of him acting alone, and break the merchants over his knee. Adam was grinning now. He might have grown, learned subtly, patience, but he still was a warrior, someone who loved violence at heart.

Adam stepped outside now, the sun setting. He walked with a purpose. Step step, heavy footfalls. He changed, just a bit, slowly. It was more effort to change suddenly, and Adam had no need to spend such energy. His neck had the oh so faint lines that would help underwater, his skin now harder to the touch, rougher. His hands, concealed in his pockets, grew..sharper, lethal weapons hiding under the facade of nails. It was subtle, very subtle. He smelled decay on the air now, but a familiar, comforting scent eased that. Sea salt, water. This city being so close to the water was a boon to his efforts.

Soon enough, Adam lay it wait at the soon to be battleground He had quickly climbed up a building, the vantage point providing easy sight to his rather sharp eyes. Adam was practically shivering in anticipation, it had been far too long since had done things personally. As if summoned by his eagerness, people flooded in. They were ramshackle, looking more like homeless bums then proper soldiers. However, two people took center stage, both having that ineffable air of authority. The male of pair took a place, clearing his throat for a speech. Adam changed, even more, eyes filling in black suddenly, skin clearly scaled. He was bigger, too, broader. His muscles swelled as he dropped. He didn't even let voices start before his hands lashed out, not going for the kill, but maiming, tearing into one man's arm, missing anything vital. He wasn't going to slaughter these men, he was going to beat them into the ground. He was divine their proper ruler, and they would see that enough.

The man fell to his knees, screaming. His will to fight was stolen by Adam's overpowering presence, his might. The others hadn't been so affected yet, and Adam began his dance. He twitched out of the way of bullets, ducked under lead pipes. There was one exception to Adam's mercy, Skidmark. Such a vulgar name, but he was the leader. If Adam tore the heart from his body, then the others would fall into line. Speaking of Skidmark, Adam felt his power, heard curses. His body was pushed against, windlike. Adam's rather sharp teeth clenched, and he ran against the force, moving with inhuman speed. Not anything like a car, but quick enough to get his hands on the poor man. He ignored the bullets pinging off his skin, even if they might have hurt.

Adam's claws dug into the man's chest, blood pouring out. Past snapping ribs, past weak flesh. He ripped out a rather vital organ. It was fleshly, beating in Adam's hands. With a clenched fist, it was crushed. Skidmark fell to the ground, and the violence, stopped, if only for a moment as Adam's wake, the brutality of his actions, snapped into place. Adam snarled, grabbing attention even as the woman beside Skidmark began to cry.

"I could have killed you all, just now. You are sinners, wicked men who deserve death. Look to your leader, and know it was to be your fate. Yet, yet, you could be a part of something greater! An engine to punish sin, not deal it! I have granted you mercy. Do you think you should turn back to your old ways, now? No! You belong to me, now. Your bodies are now a part of something greater. You are my instruments for cleansing this broken city. You are my Brotherhood, and you shall be glorious. Now..kneel before your new God."

Adam's nature infused his every word, minds buckling under the pressure. Slowly, one by one, they did. The women were the last to fall, but as her tears dried, she fell into line. Adam allowed himself a smile. That plan, that battle was good. It was refreshing for things to just go..right for a moment. Adam clenched his teeth. No, he couldn't think like that. Sloth in a time like this was an unforgivable sin. For now, Adam gathered his new troops, finding yet another decrying, abanded building to crash in. Adam himself was tired now, and he greeted sleep warily, his first night in this new world rather..eventful.


	2. Chapter 2

Adam dreamt of oceans, of monsters. He dreamt of his cult, so reduced, filled with those of a wicked nature, those who needed to be beaten into shape. But most of all, Adam dreamt of home, of the city he owned, of those he had left behind. It was rather sobering, but by the time Adam finally woke, he was even more resolute. He would fix this city, or he would die trying. He couldn't just mourn, feel sorry. He had to take action, he had to do something with himself. With a sigh and the crack of joins, Adam stood, most of the huddled masses still sleeping. A few watched his rise with awe..and fear clouding their eyes. Adam's voice was clear and concise when he spoke next, the voice of a leader, still rather harsh, almost inhuman given his vocal cord's status at the moment. He was loud, the guttural sound rasing to a shout as he stirred the room to life.

"Rise and shine, sinners! It is time to arise from your slumber. This is the first day of your new life, and today, you will be reforged! Your minds have learned of their place, and your bodies are soon to follow. You will be a legion, something that strikes fear in the hearts of men! You will be glorious."

Adam smiled, his serrated, long, and sharp teeth on display. He paced up and down the length of the building, making sure everyone was awake. They had barely hours before it was bright out, and moving this many ramshackle, filthy people might attract attention if done in broad daylight. They woke up quickly enough, one straggler being dealt with quickly, a swift kick to the side getting him in motion promptly. Adam held back, broken bones, or really, a large bruise would just slow the man down. After that, Adam closed his eyes, focusing as he let his flesh crawl back into a more human form. His skin was more supple now, more give, and his nails blunted. Wordlessly, he moved out of the building, pleased at how quickly the mass of human beings followed him.

Adam led the crowd quickly, back to the place he had arrived in. It was spacious enough to serve as a makeshift base, at least, until he started to get more followers. He could start reinforcing it, move some of the rubble around, have his men clean it up a bit. Adam's main concern, at the moment, was money. His clothes hadn't been shredded by his transformation, he had shelled out a decent amount of cash for extra stretchy clothes, but while considerable, Adam's walled only carried so many hundred dollar bills. Why he carried around so many were simple enough, it was a kind of dare to the world. Sure, someone could try stealing from him, but Adam would be sure to make them pay. It came in handy, now. Still, that amount of cash was rather finite, and he knew neither his old nor new cultists would be carrying much cash. He couldn't collect protection money yet, he wouldn't be able to deliver on the protection. The best option was looking to be stealing from other gangs. That would have to do for now.

 

Adam sighed. Power building was...annoying. He was jolted from his thoughts by seeing the area that housed his men, two guards wearing those familiar uniforms posted just out of sight. Adam knew to look for them, however, and spotted them rather quickly. They were not surprised by the new mass of people. Their God showed mercy sometimes, adopted sinners to a greater purpose. Still, they looked filthy, and in poor shape. They would have to be..dealt with, so they were not a blight on their glorious Jude's efforts. Adam led the group indoors, wordlessly beckoning the two guards to join him. The soldiers inside were at ease, talking amongst themselves, a pair or two sparring. Despite this, they had done..something, prepared a space, blood on the floor, painted with an eye to detail, a shark swimming in a drawn sea, mouth posed to eat a pile of garbage on the floor. The easy chatter and sparring ceased as soon as Adam entered the wide open building, all of them standing stiffly.

Adam cleared his throat, preparing for yet another speech. He already longed for something like last night, ducking under knives and dodging bullets, sinking his claws into the wicked's flesh. Yet this was important, and he couldn't let it slip by. He had to do things like that, or he would have wasted his power, wasted his efforts in gathering these men and women. And so he would speak, and he speak he did.

"Brotherhood, I have brought new pledges, fresh meat! These men and women dwelled in filth, sin, and helped spread it! But now, now they will help us strangle such activity. They must be cleaned, of course. I see you have prepared the rite, good, good! Let me give my blessing to this most holy effort."

Adam shifted again, taller, bigger, just barely human. His clothes swelled, but they held fast. He moved over to the painting, slicing open his palm over the garbage. His blood, thick, dark, and smelling of seawater pooled over the garbage. One of the old cultists brought a large bowl, new, to clash with the worn down look of everything else in this place. Adam bled into the bowl, his blood off colored, blackish, with reddish gold streaks throughout. Adam filled the bowl, and a cultist, female, short brown hair, well built, carried it to the new ones.

She enjoyed but a sip and then passed it to them. Some of them were eager to please, some of them hesitant. A few even put up some meager resistance, crumpled as soon as Adam drew ire-filled gaze towards them. Adam's blood coursing through their veins, hatefully burning out wounds and addictions alike. It burned, yes, but they could feel the ache of need dull, lesions heal over. Soon, they were almost tripping over themselves to sample the brew, kept in line only by Adam's threating looks when one of them looked to be violent toward one and other.

The bowl lay, empty, and forgotten, and the merchants were changed. No longer were they pocketed by scars, no longer did they look like plague bearers. They looked healthy, almost fit. Yet they were still wanting in Adam's eyes. They would have to be beaten into shape. But he didn't have to attend to that personally. He nodded, approvingly at the female. She smiled softly, an odd look on her hard-featured face. She could take the lead. Adam changed back, his teeth rounding out, and his form shrinking. It was time for him to do something he rarely did personally.

It was time to go shopping.


	3. Chapter 3

Adam was already regretting his choice of shopping personally. He was not a native to this city, and so it’s streets and shops were like puzzles to him. He..wasn’t used to such activity in the first place. Even before he had people to do these mundane tasks for him, he had rarely been out to purchase items. He hadn’t had money to do so. He didn’t have..thoughts of the before-time were useless. He had grown past it, and it shouldn’t trouble him now, not with all he had to do.  
Like shopping. Things were getting crowded, now. Masses of humanity congested all focused in one place. The sea of people no longer parted for him, and that was a good thing. The innocent, the common people, they shouldn’t have to fear his wake. Still, Adam was a large man, so even without his wake pressing down on their mind he did have a little space.  
Space to squeeze into this supermart. The light was bright inside of it, all glossy floors and colorful shelves of products. It was almost..alien to Adam. So he paced around the store. He gazed at all the food options, but most of them wouldn't work. They had no ovens, no ways to actually cook. Canned goods it was. Adam took note of how many cans he was likely to need and sighed. He was going to need bags, and it was stupid of him to think otherwise. He went to grab such things, letting his regret fester. Adam contented himself with thoughts of how his cult was dealing with it's newest members, trying to still his scornful heart.

~Shift~

A woman's eyes appraised the new meat. She was experienced at this sort of thing. She was an older member of the Brotherhood, one of it's first in fact. She was her Holy Judge's right hand, and that made her proud. Yet it was something weighty to deal with. Her God confided in her, trusted her to carry His will. So in a time like this, where everything was in turmoil, the pressure was enormous. She bore it with a smile. She would be nothing if she could not handle such stress, and such trials made her worthy of her God's favor.  
She stepped with care, every moment crafted. She had to show absolute power, absolute control. The newcomers might have been shown how to submit to The Judge, but they did not how to please him, how to live their new lives. It fell to her to show them that. It was a grueling process.  
It started, as it always did with newcomers that were..untested, with fights. Veterans of the Brotherhood against the fresh meat. It was embarrassing. These..idiots were mostly weak. There was the edge of natural intent among them, but little else when it came to skill. A few put up a decent enough fight, something to test the growing feeling of restlessness among her men, but they fell on the ground just the same, lasting only a bit more than their comrades.  
Still, weakness of this kind could be overcome. Their bodies would be forged into weapons soon enough, weapons with the skills to enact The Judge's will. First came their minds, however. There was more to service then just knowing your God's face. You had to know their rules, what was righteous in their eyes, and what was wicked. You had to know your God's heart to serve Them. So after their mouths had tasted the dirt a few more times, she gathered with them with her practiced commander voice from the old days. Then she began to explain, to lay down the law.

“Our God has given you new purpose, but with that purpose comes rules! It comes with responsibilities! You will be as lions among lambs, but if you feast upon the flock, you will be put down. The weak, the defenseless, they are your new charges! You will protect them, you will lay down your life for them, and for the glory of your God. Your God is a just God, but He is a wrathful one. He has scared rules, to break them is to spit in His face. Be honest, for broken promises lead to broken bones. Never be afraid to kill, for the split blood of sinners is the soil upon which righteousness can grow. Always know why you kill, for to aimless bloodshed is the way of sinners. Always follow your God, for he is The Judge of men. Know who speak for your God, so even in His absence, you know His Will. Always remember, you are part of The Brotherhood of Judgment now, the scourge of the wicked, the protectors of the innocent.”

There were nods, and mummers among the crowd, but she could read it well. Her words had reached them, bidding them over till her God got back, to more fully induct them. She relaxed a bit internally but kept that same vigilant look on the outside. She couldn't afford to look weak, effective speech or not.

~Shift~

Adam had grocery bags strung all across his arms by the time he had gotten back. They held cans of various shapes, a few bowls, some spoons, and forks. Wordlessly he passed into the building he was using, dropping off the bags with a nod to Megan. His second in command nodded back and began to dispense the food among the masses. Adam was tense, he needed some kind of release. There was so much change happening, and the urge to destroy and rend was getting strong within him. However, this urge could be satisfied with greater..ease in this world, at least. From what he learned, there were many targets, many sinners that needed to be crushed.  
Once his followers were finished eating, Adam beckoned along Megan and that other woman he brought mercy to. She was the last to submit to his will, and Adam was curious about her. The trio wondered to a more secluded area of the building, Adam's followers given them plenty of space. Adam spoke in his deep voice, clearly addressing the new woman.  
“You. Tell me about yourself.”  
His words caused a quiver of fear in the woman. She was new to this, and she wanted, knew she had to please this man..this God. Yet all she had to go  
by was some speech, and that felt wholly inadequate at this moment.

“Yeah, I'm..fuck man, I'm fucking Squealer, I mean, I'm Sherrel, Sherrel Bailey. I build shit, I build vehicles, I'm a vehicle tinkerer, fuck. I just..well, Skidmark was my...he was, we were fucking okay? And you just up and killed him. But he was a piece of shit, I can see that clearly now. I'm sorry for not bowing sooner!”

Adam nodded, his face rather blank.  
“You are forgiven. I need more from you, however. I need cash, and I refuse to deal in the filth that is drugs. Tell me where I might able to take it one of the local gangs..if you can.

Squealer nodded eagerly.   
“Yeah, yeah I got you! There is this casino, pretty pubic fucking knowledge it's run by the ABB themselves. Break into their shit, and I bet you could make off like a fucking bandit!”  
Adam nodded back. It was decided then. The Brotherhood would make their first public move, and show why they should be feared.


	4. Chapter 4

Adam's eyes cast over the assembled members of his cult, outfitted for war once more. The old guard had on their equipment they came here in, military-grade bulletproof armor, assault rifles, the like. The new members had their ramshackle clothes and weapons, a rusty knife here, a worn down pistol there. They looked comically out of place next to each other. Yet Adam had to get used to it, for they were now his men, his responsibility. He exhaled. He had given his speech and readied his plan.

Adam himself would be the first one into the casino. He would draw fire, create chaos, kill a few of the guards on the inside. Adam flexed his fists, breaking him out of his thoughts for a moment. He couldn't afford to get too excited. Inhale, exhale, focus. He was just a distraction, however. The new guard would take out the guards on the outside, the ones that didn't arrive to reinforce their comrades. After that, the new guard would breach into the building, kill anyone who resisted and take the cash. Keeps most of the heat off of his men, lets him test the newcomers, and lets his old guard actually do something.

All that remained was executing the plan. That would still take some doing, but Adam hoped the chaos of his entrance would mask his cult. Frustration at the need for cash..and over that fact that they were using grocery bags to carry it, was dulled by the impact this would have. It would start the process of building a reputation, a useful tool, and it would start providing funds, funds to better equip his cult. Adam allowed himself a small, quick smile. Yes, this would be both enjoyable and useful for him, and Adam knew both his old and new men would be wanting to cut loose. That might cause some trouble, but his old guard was well trained and could keep a handle on the new members. Worse came to worse, Adam himself would step in after the mission was over, and show the fresh meat the errors of their ways. Adam hoped it didn't come to that. A completed mission should be a time of celebration for his cult, not a time of punishment.

Adam left the warehouse, heading towards the casino. His cult would follow, but not closely. Too much attention, not a part of the plan. Adam thought for a moment, on how he had changed. He was getting better at plans, and sticking to them. Then again, there was no rage clouding his mind, nothing to force action upon him. He was in uncharted waters still, and he had to stay Tranquil. He didn't have..Adam shook his head. Plan, things to do, focus was needed. The entrance to the casino was not advertised, an unlit building with an entrance in a shady alleyway, but Adam knew a vice den when he saw one.

He walked towards the door, a guard posted just outside. Adam walked past the paling man, who gripped the concealed firearm through his clothes a bit tighter in his wake. Adam didn't have time to revel in his power, and he walked straight through the door, letting his nose be assaulted by the smells of so many people pressed together. He weaved through the sea of humanity, heading towards where he assumed the restrooms to be. Hopefully, this shithole has restrooms, he thought. He didn't want to tear his clothing apart. Luckily for him, they did, and even more, luckily, it was empty.

Adam shoved the door closed, locking it behind him. Then he peeled the rest of the clothes of his body. Then the changes came, his shape slowly descending away from humanity. Teeth growing larger and sharper, skin mutating into thick scales, hands molding into webbed claws. Adam's head scraped the ceiling, and he had to crouch a bit in the dingy bathroom. With a savage smile, he reduced the door to splinters, listening to the patron's screams, the reaction to his new form. With it came gunfire, bullets pounding against Adam's scales. Moving quickly, far faster than anything his size had the right to move, Adam slashed one guard's throat, hearing him die with a gurgle. Onto the next, a burly man who had a pistol. Adam grasped the man's head with one hand, lifting him up till his skull popped, gore Adam's arm. He tossed the corpse with great force at another man, roaring even as his foe was taken to the ground. The few bruises that some lucky shots left underneath Adam's scales healed quickly, the carnage fueling such regeneration in Adam's body. It was a slaughter, even with just Adam in the building. When the backup actually arrived, only a few remained standing. Even those few were gunned down, and the cash collected quickly..in grocery bags, but still collected. The mission was a success. Adam could revel in his victory now, he did as much as he left the building after collecting his clothing, then there was a boom and an impact.

A girl stood in the street. She had blonde hair, and she was barreling towards Adam as she flew over the ground. Adam had only time to steady himself, taking the punch that knocked the wind out of his lungs, and made him drop his clothes. He had..felt that one. His men trained guns onto the girl, and she looked ready to move onto them. Adam did his practiced hand motion, a symbol to move on while grabbing the girl with the other hand. This proved to be a mistake, she broke his one hand grip after a bit of struggling, slamming another fist, this time into his face. A tooth was knocked loose from the force of the blow, and Adam spat it out as he assessed the situation. This girl was strong and could fly. With a quick punch, not nearly as hard as Adam could have made it, he tested her durability. The girl took it without flinching. Strong, tough, could fly. Well, she was likely a hero, given he had just robbed a place, and she didn't look like she was part of the gang he had just robbed. Adam couldn't, wouldn't hurt badly then. She was just trying to make the world a better place.

“Which sea did they pull you out of, freak?”

Adam didn't enjoy combat banter, though. He grabbed her again, strength flowing his limbs. She kneed him, he didn't care. Both of his massive hands closed around her throat, something stopping him from squeezing. Adam gritted his teeth and put down more pressure. It took all his strength, he had to expand quite a bit of energy, and he weathered quite a bit of blows from the struggling blonde, but he could feel the force collapse. He softened his grip, not crushing her windpipe, but she couldn't breathe. Oxygen deprivation was something Adam was familiar with causing. It would only take a miniature..and her struggles ceased. Adam instantly let go, he didn't want to cause permanent brain damage..like he usually did. He caught her as she fell. Slowly he changed back and put on his clothes. He couldn't just leave her here..and she didn't know what he looked like so..he would guard her body, make sure nobody tried anything. Adam sighed. He hadn't taken into account supernatural- parahuman response, and so he had to wait for this girl to wake up. Hopefully, that wouldn't take too long. Adam however, deep down, even if he would never admit it, was excited to have met an actual superhero.

Even if he did choke her out.


	5. Chapter 5

Adam was doing surprisingly well with waiting. He had a purpose to be standing around, and that helped. He was protecting something, and that simple fact helped soothe his mind. The girl stirred, and Adam stepped a little closer. She moved upwards with swiftness, hovering in place for a few moments. She had a bird's eye view, but the freak was gone from her sight. The girl fell to the street, turning to Adam. However, it was him that spoke first, a deep tone that was rather flat.

“I saw you on the street. I didn't want you hurt so I watched over you till you woke up. Are you alright?” There, all of that was true. It might have been half truth, which left Adam with a sour taste in his mouth, but he didn't lie. Good enough for Adam, but was it good enough for the girl? She had a long pause before she spoke.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I'd ask if you saw if you saw the freak that did this, but trust me, you'd know if you did. Thank you for making sure no creeps got to me while I was out, I owe you one.” There was a strong note of irritation in her voice, but a fair dash of gratitude made it's my way into her voice by the end of her words. Adam gave a slight nod, speaking that same flat tone.

“It's fine. I'll be going now.” The girl looked a little surprised at Adam's abruptness but chose not to push the issue as he walked away. As soon as Adam couldn't see the girl, he let out a heavy sigh. He hated deception, and it was rather poor at it in the first place. Still, the girl had let him go, so it wasn't a major issue. Adam walked, taking a route that was becoming easier for him. When he had made it to the warehouse, he saw his men smiling, laughing. Their gear was as neatly put away as possible. Adam himself had a grin now, at a job well done, and also because of his cult's good mood. He walked inside, eyes pivoting to watch him. He cleared his throat, and he spoke, a joyful note entwined with his voice.

“You have performed well, my Brotherhood! I am proud of all of you and know that I do not say that lightly. Now, more must be done. We must leave our mark, so the sinners know who brought them low! But first, let us rest. We shall do more work tomorrow, but for today, we celebrate!” There was a chorus of cheers, and it warmed Adam's heart. He went to work, splitting his men into groups. There were going to go out to eat, and it would be..suspicious if they all went together. Each group had a mix of old and new soldiers and some of Adam's personal money. Adam himself went with just Megan, he did still need to talk business, and he trusted Megan to make due without a break. He would make it up to her later.

Adam walked outside, letting silence reign for several long seconds. Then he spoke, voice as blunt as ever, if still a little lighter. “We should spread our message on the internet. This world is so..public. We can spread fear more effectively. Do you know who in our Brotherhood would be good at using the internet like that?” Such a topic hadn't come up before, and Megan was the person who assessed all of the Brotherhood's strengths. She spoke with her rather professional tone, with that faint, buried, note of ever-present awe.

“Yes, I know someone who can work on that at once, Judge. We will ensure that all of the sinners will quake in fear from our name.” Megan walked stiffly, like a marching soldier. She still hadn't adjusted to this new world, she was still stressed. Adam noted this, feeling a twinge of guilt at not giving her a real break. He spoke a little softer this time.

“I know you will, Megan. I have the utmost trust in your abilities, know that. Now, I had sent some of my men on a trip to gather info. What did they learn?”

The rest of the talk passed by in information. Adam learned of heroes, and of villains. He learned more of the dire status of the city he was calling home. Then, more specifics, things to note about the city, possible strategies to use against his new foes. Such information was quite useful, of course. Adam devoured it, mind whirling with the new info. The female he had fought was most likely Glory Girl, a member of a more public team of superheroes. Adam briefly thought of giving himself a code name like the other..parahumans had, but he dismissed the thought. It didn't feel right to his mind.

Soon enough, the pair had arrived at a late night fast food place. Adam would have preferred something that sold spicier food, but he knew Megan adored burgers, and she deserved something she adored. The boy manning the counter took Adam's associated change with a blank, vaguely dead expression. Adam had a “spicy” chicken sandwich, Megan had her burger meal combo. The sandwich barely tingled in Adam's mouth, but he could deal with shitty food. The pair ate in silence in an isolated corner of the restaurant. Only once the food was finished was the silence broken, and once more, the words were about business. Megan was the one who spoke first.

“We need to figure out how we are spending the money we have acquired. We do need more bullets, but we also need food and shelter. That woman, Squealer, can build advanced tech, but she focuses on vehicles, so I don't know much help she would be in fixing up that warehouse. We also need computers, and other tools like that if we want to spread our message over the internet.”

Adam nodded, speaking calmly. “We should focus on reinforcing our warehouse, first. I can handle any more missions for a bit, while we make sure we have livable conditions for our Brotherhood. Our second priority should be spreading our message. We don't need to strike again anytime soon, we have already done a good deal. For now, we establish ourselves.”

Adam got a nod in response. He let out a soft smile at Megan. He also made sure to make a mental note to keep her relaxed for the next couple days. The pair stood up in sync, walking out of the restaurant..walking back to their new home.


End file.
